LFC And Laureate In New Partnership

Laureate Online Education, a leading provider of higher education qualifications, and Liverpool FC have announced an affiliation on a global basis.

The partnership will see Laureate use Liverpool FC's online channels in order to offer fans an accessible and affordable opportunity to study and gain a degree level qualification.

"Laureate Online Education, who works in partnership with the University of Liverpool and is proud to affiliate its online degrees with Liverpool FC. This Partnership brings together two of the great icons of the city of Liverpool with a combined history spanning over 200 years," says Leon James, Laureate's Vice-President of Marketing.

Ian Ayre, Liverpool FC's Managing Director added: "We are honored to be working in partnership with Laureate to provide our fans around the world with the opportunity to study from home and gain a qualification from the University of Liverpool. We are fortunate to have such a world class educational institution on Liverpool FC's doorstep and fans can now gain a qualification from this institution without the expense of travel and living costs associated with moving to a new city. Our website engages around four million fans monthly and we now have in excess of six million fans on our official Facebook site which presents Laureate with a huge audience."

Reds Returning To Istanbul

Liverpool has confirmed they are set to make an emotional return to Istanbul this summer when they take on Galatasaray in a pre-season friendly on Thursday, July 28.

The Reds will travel to Turkey's largest city as part of their preparations for the 2011-12 campaign.

Istanbul was, of course, the scene of Liverpool's dramatic 2005 Champions League final triumph over AC Milan.

Milan Baros figured for the Reds on that unforgettable night and now plies his trade for Galatasaray, who finished eighth in the Turkish Super Lig last season.

The two teams last met in the group stage of the 2006-07 Champions League. Both encounters finished 3-2 to the home side, with Liverpool prevailing at Anfield before Gala clinched victory in Istanbul.

The game will be played at the Turk Telekom Arena, which opened in January of this year and has its own entry in the Guinness Book of World Records as the loudest stadium on the planet having recorded a noise level of 131.76 decibels during a match with Fenerbahce on March 18.

The friendly is one of six Liverpool have announced as they gear up for the new season.

Adam Passes Reds Medical

Charlie Adam is poised to complete his move to Liverpool from Blackpool after passing a medical with the Anfield outfit.

The Reds confirmed on Wednesday that they had finally agreed an undisclosed fee, believed to be in the region of £9million, with the Championship club for the midfielder.

Scotland international Adam has been a long-term target for the Merseyside giants who tried and failed to secure his services during the January transfer window.

Blackpool's relegation from the Premier League on the final day of the season made his anticipated departure from Bloomfield Road more likely and the 25-year-old was always keen to remain in the top-flight.

Adam now only needs to agree personal terms with Kenny Dalglish's men to seal his switch to the five-time European champions.

The midfielder will become Liverpool's second signing of the summer following the £20million arrival of Jordan Henderson from Sunderland.

There have been rumblings of discontent from some supporters after seeing the club miss out on Connor Wickham to Sunderland and Phil Jones to Manchester United.

But Dalglish clearly has further targets in mind and the Reds saw their £15million approach for Aston Villa winger Stewart Downing knocked back on Tuesday evening.

Doni Could Move To Liverpool Within Next Two Days

Roma goalkeeper Alexander Doni is very close to completing his move to Liverpool, according to the player's agent.

The two clubs had reached an agreement over the transfer last month only for the Brazilian to turn down a contract offer that would have seen him take a significant pay cut.

However, the move seems to be back on with the player possibly signing before the weekend.

Doni's agent, Ovidio Colucci, told Press Association Sport: "In the next 36 hours we will know something definite. Liverpool is interested in Doni and there is the agreement between the two clubs and with the player. We just have to ratify certain details with Roma."

Colucci continued: "If the deal is completed, Doni will join Liverpool on a free transfer and will sign a two-year contract. Doni is very happy with the chance to go to Liverpool and play in the Premier League."

The Brazilian joined Roma in 2005 but struggled to find regular football recently, and he will be seen as a back-up goalkeeper at Anfield, with first choice Pepe Reina committed to Liverpool.

Liverpool Given Chance By Paris Saint-Germain To Sign Guillaume Hoarau

Paris Saint-Germain has offered Liverpool the opportunity to sign striker Guillaume Hoarau, it has been claimed.

According to The Guardian - who source reports in France - PSG are prepared to offload the France international, and have touted him out to the Merseyside club.

Hoarau scored 11 times for PSG last season and, with the acquisition of Kevin Gameiro expected to be followed by a marquee signing, the 27-year-old will see himself slide down the pecking order at the Parc des Princes.

Liverpool has been linked with Hoarau in the past but, whether or not they retain a genuine interest in the Frenchman remains to be seen.

Hoarau's goal return hardly makes him an outstanding candidate to move to Anfield this summer, as Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) continue to build a squad capable of challenging for top honours.

Liverpool has already added Sunderland youngster Jordan Henderson to their ranks and, on Wednesday afternoon, confirmed a deal had been reached to by Charlie Adam.

The Blackpool captain has been on the Liverpool radar for a number of months, but his protracted move to Anfield now appears to be nearing a conclusion.

West Ham United Set To Offer Loan Deal For Joe Cole

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is keen on bringing in struggling Joe Cole on a loan deal from Liverpool as he looks to gain momentum ahead of the new season, according to the Daily Mail.

Cole, 29, has swiftly fallen out-of-favour at Anfield and has struggled to find any form in Kenny Dalglish's side, making 20 appearances and scoring two goals with little impact in his debut campaign after joining from Chelsea.

The Hammers could not afford Cole's £100,000-a-week wages, so would have to come to an arrangement with Liverpool over subsidization of part of the package.

The England international may make way for Liverpool if they can land key transfer target Stewart Downing from Aston Villa, which would push him further down the pecking order.

The deal could work for all parties, with the quality of Cole boosting the Hammers' promotion chances and the player possibly favouring a return to his former club, where he is still idolized by the club's fans.

However, it is not yet clear if he would want to drop down a division as he reaches his peak years and it is believed Cole wants to keep his options open until much later in the summer.

Rennes Plotting Mavinga Move

Rennes coach Pierre Dreossi has admitted to holding an interest in Liverpool defender Chris Mavinga.

The 20-year-old full-back has been on the books at Anfield since 2009 but is yet to force his way into the first-team picture.

He took in a loan spell at Belgian outfit Racing Genk last season, allowing him to make his long-awaited bow in senior football.

With his situation at Liverpool unlikely to change in the coming season, it is now being reported that Mavinga is seeking a permanent move away from Merseyside.

Rennes are hoping he can be lured back to his homeland, with Dreossi confirming that the France U20 international is on his summer wish list.

He told L'Equipe: "Mavinga? He is a player we are following and we are interested in him. But it is too early to talk about it."

Dreossi claims his priority at present is tying up a deal for Jonathan Pitroipa, with the Hamburg forward set to finalise a move to France in the coming days.

He added: "We will first try to complete the arrival of Jonathan Pitroipa before we look at other options."

Johnson Signs Reds Extension

Glen Johnson has today put pen to paper on an extension to his Liverpool contract.

The England international, who has made 70 appearances for the Reds, committed his future to the club by signing the deal at Melwood.

Liverpool FC Director of Football Damien Comolli said: "We are absolutely delighted. We were in talks for a few weeks, but it was easy to find an agreement because he wanted to stay and we wanted him to stay.

"We are very pleased he wants to commit long term, and I think he was pleased we went to him and asked him to commit long term.

"His best years are to come. Very often defenders peak between 26 and 31, so he is just entering into those years where a maturity comes in and his knowledge of the game gets better and better. We are happy his long-term future is at Liverpool."

Johnson joined Liverpool two years ago from Portsmouth and marked his Anfield debut with a spectacular goal in a 4-0 victory over Stoke City in August 2009.

The 26-year-old tallied 35 appearances overall during his first season with the Reds - a figure he matched last term as he showcased his versatility by operating on both the right and left side of defence under Kenny Dalglish.

Comolli added: "It's obvious when you watch him play his technical ability is second to none. Physically he is absolutely fantastic as well and his fitness level is great.

"Towards the end of last season he showed how versatile he is by playing at left-back or right-back - mostly at left-back - and was outstanding.

"For us he is a great asset to have around. As we've always said, we don't want to sell our best players or sell our assets and as long as the players are happy to be here, we're happy to commit to them."

Defender Extends LFC Deal

Liverpool has confirmed Andre Wisdom has put pen to paper on an extension to his contract.

The Reds have secured the future of the highly-rated 18-year-old, who figured in the first-team squad last season, after he signed the deal today.

Liverpool's Director of Football Damien Comolli said: "We are delighted. He made fantastic progress last season. He was here at Melwood with the first team for a few weeks to a month towards the end of last season and he did really well in training and was involved with the first team.

"He also did really well with the reserves. He's got great potential and a great future ahead of him.

"Andre is another player who is versatile. He can play, is good on the ball, intelligent and physically very strong. He has all the ingredients to be a top defender."

Wisdom was installed as reserve-team captain for the 2010-11 season after helping England to success in last summer's U17s European Championships.

A knee injury sidelined the powerful defender at the start of the campaign, but he returned in the New Year stronger than ever, earning international honours at U19 level.

Such was his progress, Wisdom was named on the first-team bench twice over the course of last season, including on the final day at Aston Villa, as well as being included in the Europa League squad.

"We have shown for a while that if young players are good enough they will be rewarded," added Comolli.

"I told him when he signed it is just a step. It's an achievement in a way, but he should not just sit on this contract and wait to see what happens - he should show that he is hungry and wants to keep progressing.

"We know he is very young and that his position at centre-half is very difficult to break into in the first team because of the responsibilities of the position, but Andre has all the qualities and skills to get there."

Since returning to the club in January, Kenny Dalglish has displayed a willingness to give younger players first-team opportunities, with the likes of Jack Robinson, John Flanagan, Jay Spearing and Martin Kelly all benefiting from such an approach last season.

Comolli feels this confidence from the manager in Academy graduates serves as a spur for the club's starlets.

He said: "I think it is massive for the young players. They are coming here (to Melwood) with confidence. Kenny has got a way of saying the right thing at the right time to them, boosting their confidence and making sure they're relaxed, whether it's in a game or a training session.

"For players like Andre, he saw what happened last season with Jack Robinson, Jonathan Flanagan and Jay Spearing, so he must be thinking he could be the next one - and that's what we are pushing him to do."

Liverpool Granted Extension From Council For Stanley Park Stadium

Liverpool has been granted an extension for work on a new 60,000-seater stadium at Stanley Park.

The local authority deadline for the approval of development work expired on June 19, but a council spokesperson has stated that 'sufficient works' have been undertaken by Liverpool since their first approval in 2008.

Over the three-year period, Liverpool have only demolished one street of houses behind the Anfield Road end to allow for an extension, which opens up the possibility of remaining at Anfield and building on their existing stadium instead of moving to Stanley Park, but the council sees this as sufficient.

A council spokesman said they are now waiting on the club to announce a £300,000-a-year lease on the site for a new stadium.

"Work continues on examining both options open to us: refurbishment of Anfield and Stanley Park,” a club spokesman was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

Council leader Joe Anderson added: "I would discourage [Liverpool] from redeveloping Anfield and would encourage them to stick to the commitment that is already in place."

Liverpool council reportedly enforced the June 19 deadline, and refused six and 12-month extensions, before approving a three-month extension until September, although the council deny these allegations, saying: "A condition of the planning decision was that Liverpool had to start work by June 19 but we've accepted they have done sufficient work."

Liverpool Want £20m Spain International After Downing Bid Rejected

Kenny Dalglish has made Valencia winger Juan Mata a priority signing after Aston Villa rejected an improved offer for Stewart Downing earlier this week.

According to a report on the Mirror Football website, the Merseyside club upped their bid from the £12 million they tabled two weeks ago to a generous £15 million.

However, Villa are thought to be holding out for an astronomical sum of around £20 million, and Liverpool are not willing to shell out so much to bring the 27-cap England international to Anfield.

Despite clearly being keen to move on from the Midlands outfit having stalled with contract negotiations, Downing will have to find another suitor able to provide European football.

Meanwhile, Dalglish will look elsewhere to find a steady supply of assists for his new strike partnership of Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez.

Given the immense form of Mata during Spain’s successful European Under-21 Championship campaign over the course of last month in Denmark, the Liverpool manager is likely to put together an attempt to raid the Mestalla.

Valued at close to £20 million by his current employers, Mata has achieved a great deal in the game in spite of his tender age.

Still just 23 years old, he has compiled 11 senior caps for his country, during which time he has scored four goals.

Though he was restricted to a single substitute appearance in the 2-0 group stage win over Honduras, Mata was a part of Spain’s squad throughout their run to World Cup victory in South Africa last summer.

Arsene Wenger is also known to be a fan, having allegedly attempted to break Arsenal’s club transfer record with an £18 million bid for the player last week.

Aston Villa Want £19m For Stewart Downing

Aston Villa have slapped a price tag of £19m on winger Stewart Downing, Press Association Sport understands.

Villa have rejected a second bid - of around £15m - for the England international from Liverpool.

New Villa manager Alex McLeish would like to keep hold of Downing after losing the services of Ashley Young to Manchester United.

But if the player is to leave, Villa will hold out for what they consider to be a fair price for the former Middlesbrough player.

A source close to Villa said: "The club has made it known what they regard as a fair price for Stewart Downing, if he is to be sold."

Liverpool had an initial offer of around £12m turned down for Downing - the price Villa paid for him when he moved from Boro two years ago.

Downing has two years remaining of his contract but made it clear last month that he would not be signing a new deal at this juncture.

He told Press Association Sport: "My agent had a meeting with the club - just one meeting - and he just felt it was the right time not to sign my contract.

"I've still got two years to go, so I've still got a long time to go, so I just decided to leave it as it is.

"Will I be at Villa next season? I'm not sure."

Downing is due to report to pre-season training on Friday with Villa.

He endured an injury-hit first campaign after signing for them when still recovering from a broken foot.

But last season Downing was in outstanding form and was Villa's player of the year.

Monaco Star Issues 'Come And Get Me' Plea To Liverpool

Monaco midfielder Park Chu-Young has issued a come and get me plea to Liverpool - and insists he doesn't want to go anywhere else.

The South Korean captain will snub possible moves to AC Milan, Spurs and Paris St Germaine to fulfill his boyhood dream and play for his hero Kenny Dalglish.

The 25-year-old is available for around £6million and, with Liverpool touring south-east Asia this summer, Young's arrival could not be timed any better from a commercial sense.

It’s well known that Liverpool’s shirt sponsors Standard Chartered are keen to see Asian players don the red shirt to help the bank exploit one of its biggest markets.

Standard's £20m-a-season sponsorship deal with Liverpool is one of the most lucrative in Premier League history, and Gavin Law, the group head of corporate affairs for Standard Chartered, said: “We would love the club to have players of nationalities from the markets in which we operate. Look what Park [Ji-sung] has done for [Manchester] United in terms of coverage in Korea.

"Liverpool is more aware than most other clubs we've spoken to of the commercial opportunity for them. If they can sell a million shirts with another Mr. Park on the back, why wouldn't you?"

Pool Want £9million For Adam

Skysports.com understands Blackpool have placed a £9million price tag on midfield star Charlie Adam.

Adam is one of the most sought-after players in the Premier League following Blackpool's relegation to the Championship.

The Scotland international is thought to be keen on staying in the top flight and a number of clubs are chasing his signature.

Liverpool is thought to be leading the race for Adam after having a couple of bids rejected for his services during the January transfer window.

Aston Villa and Tottenham are also thought to be keen on Adam and they are monitoring his situation at Bloomfield Road.

Blackpool is resigned to losing Adam, but they are holding out for the highest offer for the former Rangers man.

The Seasiders are thought to have informed Adam's suitors it will take a fee of £9million for them to let the classy playmaker leave this summer.

Liverpool is thought to be reluctant to meet the fee, but they are expected to increase their efforts to land the Scotland international in the next few days.

Spurs To Move For Cole If Modric Quits For Chelsea

Tottenham are set to renew their interest in Joe Cole - if Luka Modric is allowed to go to Chelsea.

Liverpool outcast Cole looks destined to leave Anfield after just a year and he could be reunited with his old Hammers boss Harry Redknapp at White Hart Lane.

Cole is surplus to requirements on Merseyside following the summer arrival of Jordan Henderson from Sunderland, but the 29-year-old’s move south depends on Spurs granting Modric his dream move across London to Chelsea.

Tottenham are determined that any deal for Modric will include Didier Drogba moving in the opposite direction, but the strict wage structure at Spurs is likely to prove a stumbling block to that move.

The 33-year-old Ivory Coast international is reportedly earning £120,000 per week at Stamford Bridge.

Quartet Eye Darby Move

Skysports.com understands a number of clubs are chasing Liverpool defender Stephen Darby.

Doncaster and League One trio Rochdale, MK Dons and Oldham are all thought to have enquired about the full-back's availability.

The quartet are waiting to see if Liverpool would be prepared to loan him out again or even consider selling the former youth team captain.

Darby spent the majority of last season on loan at Notts County and he impressed during his spell at Meadow Lane.

The 22-year-old is highly-rated at Anfield, but he is likely to find first-team chances hard to come by next season with Glen Johnson and Martin Kelly ahead of him in the pecking order.

Liverpool Decide Not To Risk Steven Gerrard's Fitness On Far East Tour

Liverpool will not gamble on Steven Gerrard’s fitness by taking him on their Far East tour as he continues to recover from the groin surgery he had in March.

‘I’d really been looking forward to travelling out to China, Malaysia and Singapore,’ said Gerrard, whose team play Guangdong next Wednesday, face a Malaysia XI on July 16 and host a training session in Singapore the next day.

‘But it’s been decided the best course of action is for me is to continue my rehabilitation program at Melwood [training ground].’

The England international has not played since March 6 and started just 20 of 38 Premier League matches last season, compared to at least 30 in each of the previous five campaigns.

Instead, Liverpool is hoping Gerrard will be fully fit for their season opener against Sunderland on August 13.

Manager Kenny Dalglish said: ‘They are in the final stages of getting him back to full training. I'm sure there will be supporters disappointed that Steven is unable to be with us in Asia but I'm sure the same people will appreciate the importance of Steven giving himself the best possible opportunity of being fit to play against Sunderland on the opening day of the new campaign.

‘Steven continuing his rehabilitation program at Melwood is in everybody's long term interests.’

Jordan Henderson To Miss Liverpool FC’s Asia Tour

Jordan Henderson won't be travelling to the Far East with Liverpool on their pre-season tour.

The 21-year-old midfielder, who joined the Reds from Sunderland for £16million last month, has been given extra time to recover following his exploits with England at the Under-21 European Championships.

Henderson is due back at Melwood when Liverpool return from their eight-day tour of China and Malaysia.

Liverpool will fly off on Sunday without Henderson and skipper Steven Gerrard but all other first team stars - with the exception of Copa America duo Luis Suarez and Lucas Leiva - are expected to make the trip.

Goalkeeper Pepe Reina had a hernia operation during the close season but is set to travel to Asia.

Skrtel Glad To Be Back

Martin Skrtel admits pre-season training has been tough so far - but he's relishing being put through his paces as Liverpool gear up for the new campaign.

The centre-back joined his teammates at Melwood on Monday morning as the Reds' preparations for 2011-12 got underway.

And Skrtel is determined to ensure he's in prime condition for Sunderland's opening-day visit to Anfield on August 13.

He told his official website: "I'm back in Liverpool now. I came back on Sunday and we had our first training session on Monday.

"It was hard at times but I understand why we train this hard - a new challenge lies ahead and we want to be ready.

"It was great to be with boys again. We will be here for a week and then we travel to Asia for a pre-season tour.

"We want to be ready and we have some business to do this time. I hope this will be a much better season than the last one."

Liverpool Can't Afford Another Wasted Summer

During the fanzine explosion of the late 1980s a magazine was brought out with a title that drew attention to Liverpool’s most glaring weakness of that era. Another Wasted Corner was its name but if a similar publication had been launched at any time during the last three years it would have to have been called Another Wasted Summer.

The last three summer transfer windows have been and gone without Liverpool signing a single player who it could be claimed has significantly improved the squad. There are those who have at times made a positive impression – Raul Meireles, Glen Johnson and perhaps Albert Riera being the most notable examples – but the overwhelming majority of new recruits have struggled to make any kind of impact at all.

Robbie Keane and Alberto Aquilani both cost in the region of £20 million only for the former to be sold after just half a season and the latter to be sent out on loan after only one full campaign.

Money has been spent – even if at times transfers were conducted under financial pressure from the bank or the boardroom – and it has not been spent wisely enough. That is one of the fundamental reasons why Liverpool has gone from being title contenders in 2008/09 to also rans in 2010/11. It may only have been a short space of time but it was sufficient for a flawed transfer strategy that saw good players leave and not so good ones arrive have a negative effect on performance levels and standards.

The blame game has already been played in respect of this fall from grace and whether you blame managers, executives, owners or whoever no longer matters. The most important thing is that Liverpool learn from these failings and do not repeat them because the one thing that they can least afford is another wasted summer.

Almost every single summer since Liverpool stopped winning league titles in 1990 has been billed as the most important in the club’s recent history but the feeling is that this one really does fit that description. With new owners, a new manager and a new sense of purpose the forthcoming campaign is one in which Liverpool can rejoin English football’s elite. But that will only happen if they buy well; there can be no duds this time around.

Giant strides have already been taken since Kenny Dalglish returned as manager last January. The style of football is much improved, there is an obvious togetherness in the playing squad and at times there has even been a feelgood factor about Liverpool. It is for these reasons that there are so many people within the game who feel that the forthcoming campaign could be a special one for Liverpool, one in which they reassert themselves at the top end of the table and challenge for trophies.

That in itself shows how far the club has come since this time last year when Liverpool’s hopes of getting in the mix were null and void. There may have been those who unrealistically harboured a belief that success was just around the corner but hindsight has shown us that there was no chance of glory given the problems that continued to plague the club.

This time around it is different though. There is no danger of Liverpool being plunged into administration by the banks nor is there a manager in charge who is hopelessly out of his depth. Disharmony has been replaced by unity and cancerous negativity washed away by a sea of positivity. If ever there was a chance for Liverpool to reassert themselves and start living up to their glorious past again then that time is now.

There will be those who say that claiming a place in the top four is out of the question given the immense spending power of Chelsea and the two Manchester clubs. Even if that is the case, and shelling out vast fortunes on players does not always yield improvement as countless examples prove, then at worst that still leaves fourth place up for grabs, a position which occupied last season but are by no means guaranteed to hold on to this time around.

The changes that are about to take place at Arsenal are likely to leave them more vulnerable than they have been for some time and Liverpool’s first target for the new campaign should be to usurp the North London club. Should they take the momentum from the tail end of last season into the start of the new one then there is no reason why they cannot send a message out to Arsenal and the other teams who expect to finish in the top four that Liverpool are genuine challengers.

Again though, for that to happen Liverpool have to do something that they haven’t done for far too long and that is to buy well. The starting point for that is for Dalglish to be backed in the transfer market with whatever funds are available and it is to be trusted that the club’s owners will do that. Then it is up to the manager Damien Comolli, the director of football, and their global network of scouts to identify and recruit those players who will improve the squad and give it a chance of fulfilling its potential.

This summer has to be different to the previous three and the cycle of poor recruitment must be broken. Liverpool cannot afford another wasted summer, they have to make this one count.